1. Field of Invention
This invention generally relates to amusement devices called games which require strategy and problem solving by a human participant, specifically to a game page that provides blind or visually impaired persons with the ability to play the game Sudoku by touch rather than by sight.
2. Prior Art
This invention utilizes the game Sudoku played by millions of sighted persons using written alphanumeric symbols on printed paper pages or on computer displays. The most common version of the game Sudoku presents the player with a puzzle containing eighty-one squares arranged in nine rows and nine columns. The author of one of the millions of possible Sudoku puzzles inserts one of the numbers one to nine in a sufficient number of starting squares such that the game has a unique solution. The player then proceeds to fill in each of the empty squares with one of the digits one to nine such that the same number is not duplicated in any one of the nine rows, nine columns, or nine three-square-by-three-square boxes of the game page. Other similar versions of the game Sudoku contain more or fewer than eighty-one squares utilize a set of more or fewer than nine numeric, alphanumeric, or picture symbols; but, still place only one symbol in each square.
This invention utilizes the prior art of electromechanically raised and lowered Braille dots used in currently available refreshable Braille displays attached to or integrated with computers, Braille keyboards, and Braille note-taking equipment to communicate information between blind persons and computers.
This invention utilizes the prior art of electromechanical keyboards to communicate information from Blind persons to computers.
3. Objects and Advantages
Accordingly, the objects and advantages of this Tactile Sudoku Game Display for the Blind invention are to allow blind and visually impaired persons to play the game Sudoku and similar games by touch rather than by sight. The invention uses raised dots similar to Braille dots in each game square. The remaining raised dots in a game square represent the one or more still possible numeric, alphabetic, or other symbols for that game square and the depressed dots represent the symbols no longer possible for that game square. Further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and drawings.